Trade Compliance Operations Manager

Role Purpose

Lead and develop the Kuala Lumpur execution capability as part of NXP's global Trade Compliance Operations team. This is a hands-on player-manager role: the manager leads the Trade Compliance Operations Coordinators while also personally executing and reviewing operational work. The initial focus is product classification, including HS and ECCN classification. Over time, further Trade Compliance activities may be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur team.

The role ensures accurate, timely and playbook-based execution, with disciplined escalation of new, sensitive or precedent-setting matters through established global channels.

Key Responsibilities

Hands-on execution

• Personally perform and review classification and other trade compliance activities, particularly during ramp-up, peak periods and operational backlogs.
• Execute HS and ECCN classification work within approved playbooks and decision frameworks.
• Manage classification requests and prepare clear, authority-ready escalation packages when matters fall outside established guidance.
• Ensure complete documentation, decision traceability and audit-ready evidence.

Team leadership and delivery ownership

• Build, lead, coach and develop the Kuala Lumpur Trade Compliance Operations Coordinators.
• Allocate work, manage queues and backlogs, balance workload, and monitor quality, productivity and cycle times.
• Act as the first point of contact for daily execution issues and run regular delivery and performance routines.
• Remain actively involved in operational work; this is not a management-only or strategy-only role.

Execution governance and quality

• Ensure consistent use of approved playbooks, controls and escalation rules.
• Perform first-line quality assurance through sampling, error tracking and root-cause analysis.
• Drive corrective actions, coaching, retraining and continuous improvement.

Scaling and cross-functional coordination

• Help build and scale the Kuala Lumpur Trade Compliance Operations capability and support the controlled transfer of additional activities.
• Identify recurring execution patterns that can be standardized, simplified or added to playbooks.
• Work closely with the Operations Control Tower, Trade Compliance Infrastructure, Export Control and Sanctions, Customs, Supply Chain Security, Process and Risk teams.
• Own continuous improvement of the operation by simplifying and standardizing processes, increasing automation, improving data and workflows, and applying AI-enabled solutions where appropriate to improve quality, speed and scalability.

Qualifications / Experience

• Typically 5-8 years of relevant experience in trade compliance operations, export controls, customs, product classification or a comparable regulated operational environment, including experience leading or supervising an operational team.
• Strong practical knowledge of product classification processes, including HS classification; experience with ECCN or export control classification is strongly preferred.
• Proven people leadership experience, including coaching and developing employees, allocating work, managing performance and taking ownership of team delivery.
• Experience allocating work and managing operational queues, quality, KPIs, backlogs and cycle times.
• Comfortable combining people leadership with personal execution and review of operational work.
• Ability to work consistently within documented playbooks, controls and escalation frameworks.
• Strong attention to detail, documentation discipline and a practical, collaborative mindset.

Note: The successful candidate must have sufficient trade compliance knowledge to execute and review classification work, recognize compliance risks, apply established requirements correctly and escalate matters requiring specialist or authority-level interpretation.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in business, supply chain, engineering, international trade, law or a related field, or equivalent relevant practical experience.

Language

• Fluent English, written and spoken, is required.
• The ability to speak, read and write Mandarin Chinese is a strong advantage.
• Other relevant language skills are welcome.

More information about NXP in Malaysia...

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